Boyd Independent School District’s Dyslexia Program properly identifies students with dyslexia and/or dysgraphia, provides academic support to meet their individual needs and assists the students in developing skills to compensate for any difficulties they may have in order to become successful individuals.

Dyslexia Defined

As defined in TEC §38.003 (The Dyslexia Law):

“Dyslexia” means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and socio-cultural opportunity.

“Related disorders” includes disorders similar to or related to dyslexia such as developmental auditory imperceptions, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.

The International Dyslexia Association’s definition of dyslexia states:

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge”.

Dysgraphia Defined

The International Dyslexia Association’s definition of dysgraphia states:

“Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder that involves handwriting.  It is a written language disorder in serial production of strokes to form a handwritten letter and involves not only motor skills but also language skills – finding, retrieving and producing letters, which is a sub-word level language skill.  The impaired handwriting may interfere with spelling and/or composing, but individuals with dysgraphia only, do not have difficulty with reading.” 

What If I Suspect My Child Has Dyslexia and/or Dysgraphia?

First and foremost, discuss your concerns with your child’s classroom teacher. He or she may be able to reassure you that your child is making appropriate progress. If you continue to be concerned about your child’s progress, contact your child’s campus Dyslexia Specialist. The campus Dyslexia Specialist will meet with the Assessment Committee and decide whether the district suspects dyslexia and/or dysgraphia. If so, your child will be referred for a dyslexia assessment and/or a dysgraphia assessment as well as evaluation for either Section 504 or Special Education. If your child is currently eligible for either Section 504 or Special Education, please contact the appropriate committee with your concerns.